IG disease finally cured? Yes. Instagram created an image problem and they are struggling to recover. A tale of how luxury porn and a pandemic killed a beloved social media app.
Instagram or IG. What comes to mind? For many, influencers, clout, yachts, expensive streetwear, private planes, and champagne flutes held by some of the most algorithms chosen beautiful people.
"No cure for the IG Disease." - Cardi B and Offset's Clout.
No doubt, the app shackled popular culture in 2019. Fast forward to 2021, what happened?
Theory of IG: Clout killed the cat
Once upon a time, users logged on to Instagram to share photos of friends and family. It became an app to gawk at beautiful places and people, an ecosystem for advertisers to promote wealth porn. Blame the advertisers, users for hitting the heart button on doctored photos, and Instagram for not forecasting trends and culture.
Instagram is perfection. How can this affect a user? Finding a location that can rival a sponsored influencer and spending hours FaceTuning removed the fun and candidness from Instagram. Instagram intimidated the everyday user from posting so, users migrated to find a more expressive outlet while curating their Instagrams to the IG standard. Instagram became less fun.
Rise TikTok, Rise. The chaotic rise of messiness.
People keep coming back to TikTok despite its numerous faults and numerous exposés showing its numerous flaws, such as the racially discriminatory beauty algorithm and the 2020 exposé where moderators were directed to hide “ugly or poor users.”
Despite beautiful people on TikTok rocketing to the top, the fyp page still allows messiness, you can see people singing in their mirror sporting bonnets in imperfect kitchens. There is less mental friction to uploading on TikTok versus Instagram. A TikTok user can proudly show off their hilariously hideous edits. It’s unfiltered. TikTok moves so quickly that it encourages quick uploads and engagement.The rush means there are fewer expectations for perfect content so, people are not as shy. TikTok is fast and constantly seems to be in motion. Even the jumpy thumbnails move, unlike Instagram. Messy is the TikTok aesthetic. Messy is apathy and apathy is “cool.” Even the colorful brand UI contrast with Instagram’s white screens.
The pandemic changed users desires. IG ignored that.
The pandemic caused global uncertainty. Isolated, indoors with the news blaring, people wanted something attainable and communal, for example, “In Q1 of 2020 alone, the app [TikTok] had 315 million downloads.” Instagram offered unattainable imagery of influencers throwing secret parties and selling makeup to wear beneath masks while people were scared for their futures and laid off. Whereas, TikTok encouraged the everyday user to keep busy with trending dances and challenges around the house.
If the pandemic had not occurred, would Instagram have taken such a hard fall?
During COVID-19, Instagram did not seem to change its brand or update the algorithm to understand users’ changing aspirations, nor did it adjust to the creeping narrative of self-acceptance. TikTok became an app for the everyday user where the perfect celebrity and influencer are an afterthought. Instagram remained perfectly and even more unattainable.
It is not exclusively the pandemic’s fault. Instagram overlooked the emergence of “real culture” from brands like Aerie, Milk and Glossier as a backlash to the 2015 excess. Their perfect minimalist app of influencers is becoming a relic of a time when aspirational Victoria’s Secret reigned supreme.
The future of IG: A life in TikTok’s shadow?
How will Instagram catch up? Instagram introduced reels, a recycling bin for TikTok videos. The new update received a mixed reaction, many in the reviews state that Instagram is the outdated catch-up app for TikTok. Not good.
Instagram is introducing the TikTok model to tailor content with a “for you” page which will either go two ways:
1) Perform well and, let the world the TikTok model won for a short while moving ahead.
2) Perform terribly, and let the world know TikTok won.
In the end, how will Instagram accommodate the pandemic, and combat the rigid Instagram experience caused by influencers, algorithms, and advertisers? Will they lean into it and turn it into the antithesis of TikTok or will they attempt to beat TikTok at it own game?
Instagram is what occurs when companies don’t adapt to the current socioeconomic and political climate.
Do you have your own ideas on why Instagram is losing its “It” factor? Sound off in the comments. Support me on Medium, by clicking the link and taking a peek.
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